


Ache

by SpookyMiscreant



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, But so is Stiles, M/M, aftermath of Donovan, but he's not a monster, courting, he's a kid thrown into something thats over his head, kicked out of the pack, scott is a Not great friend and alpha, seriously so much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 10:16:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20062375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookyMiscreant/pseuds/SpookyMiscreant
Summary: Stiles stared at his hands quietly, his father’s words echoing in his mind.Self-defense is not murder., and even if it was this was an accident.You’re the best thing in my life, son.This doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a survivor.I love you, Stiles.He wrestled with those sentiments more than he let on to his father. How was he not a bad person when he’d killed someone? He knew rationally he hadn’t delivered the final blow, that he hadn’t been trying to kill Donovan, but he’d wanted to get away at any cost. That cost had been Donovan’s life.





	Ache

**Author's Note:**

> This ones dark guys. Day four is kicked out of the pack and courting so here we are! I hope you like it!

Stiles stared at his hands quietly, his father’s words echoing in his mind. 

_ Self-defense is not murder., and even if it was this was an accident. _

_ You’re the best thing in my life, son.  _

_ This doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a survivor.  _

_ I love you, Stiles.  _

He wrestled with those sentiments more than he let on to his father. How was he not a bad person when he’d killed someone? He knew rationally he hadn’t delivered the final blow, that he hadn’t been trying to kill Donovan, but he’d wanted to get away at any cost. That cost had been Donovan’s life. 

He’d called his father immediately, using the library’s phone since his cellphone was still in pieces on the ground outside. The Beacon Hills Sheriff had arrived quickly and quietly, taking care of Donovan as Stiles shakily started cleaning up the books that’d fallen. It’d taken three tries before his father was able to get his attention and herd him out of the school. 

His father’s departing words had been, “Call Scott, son.” 

How was he supposed to tell Scott he’d killed someone? He was scared and alone in his empty home with no courage to tell his best friend and alpha 

“You reek of negative emotions.” 

Stiles jumped and spun around to face Peter Hale, whom had apparently returned from whatever far off place he’d disappeared to a year ago and was now crouching in his bedroom windowsill. 

“Peter?” 

“Yes I’m sure you’re surprised to see me after you all threw me in Eichen to rot-”

Whatever he’d been about say was cut off by Stiles’ surprised and indignant “Eichen?!”

Peter stepped down from the window and tilted his head, surprised and confused, “Did you? Not know?” 

Thoughts of Donovan flew out the window as Stiles recalled what Scott had told him about Peter’s disappearance. 

“No. Scott said he asked you to leave and you did, that he didn’t ask where you were going because we’d be better off not knowing.” the words came out as a shocked whisper. 

How had he been so naive? 

Peter scoffed, taking a seat at his desk, “Why on Earth would I do anything that whelp told me to do, much less ‘asked’?” 

Overwhelming shame and regret filled Stiles. Of course he’d accidentally killed someone, his first step down that path had been not saving someone from the hell he’d been put in against his will too. 

“Peter I-”

“Save it. I thought you would have been against putting me in there and now I know you were. Do not fret things you have no control over.” Peter leaned forward staring intently at Stiles, “Now Stiles, what happened?” 

“There was an accident.” was all Stiles could manage, eyes on the floor. 

A moment passed in silence before Stiles braved a look at Peter, the man was watching him patiently waiting for more. 

“A boy threatened my dad earlier today. He found me alone at the school, my jeep was broken down again.” a pause to glance at Peter once more before looking at his feet. 

“He, uh, bit me, but it didn’t feel like a bite it felt like he was trying to eat me if that makes any sense at all.” Stiles’ shoulder still burned something fierce. 

“He’s a wendigo.” Peter supplied simply. 

Stiles nodded, that made sense when he thought about it, but that wasn’t the end of the story. 

“I hit him with my wrench and ran into the school. He chased me to the library. They’re doing construction on the second floor balcony so I climbed up the scaffolding. I just wanted to get away.” He looked at Peter through wet lashes before whispering again that he just wanted to get away. 

“Tell me what happened, Stiles.” Peter’s voice was even and calm, his eyes earnest and open. 

“He had my leg and was about to try to eat me again so I tried to throw something at him.” Stiles words spilled out in a quiet, wet, torrent of fear and shame. 

“I just wanted to get away, Peter. I  _ had  _ to get away. He was going to kill me. I threw a metal pipe down at him. It was supposed to knock him down. That’s all. I swear, Peter. I swear.” The last word broke over the sound of a sob. 

“And it did, but it killed him.” Peter said the words so simply it startled another sob out of Stiles.

“I killed him” the words were hardly recognizable through Stiles’ sobs.

“You did. He would’ve killed you if you hadn’t.” Peter was kneeling in front of Stiles now, his piercing blue eyes unavoidable even blurred as they were through Stiles’ tears. 

“That doesn’t make it better!” Stiles shouted outraged, but his tears slowed.

“No it doesn’t, pet, but it is important to remember the circumstances you were in.” 

“Why?” 

“Because without context your father would be a serial killer, but he’s not because each person your father’s killed had their own extenuating circumstances. It’s a last resort, Stiles, but sometimes it’s the only one.” Peter’s words were a shock but as he finished they started to soothe a ragged torn part of him. 

“I have to tell Scott.” 

“You do.” 

“Will you stay with me?” Stiles blinked the remnants of his tears away. 

“Of course, pet.” Peter didn’t have to request that his presence remain a secret, they both knew Stiles wouldn’t let him get sent back to that nightmare. 

-

Peter watched silently as Stiles tried to defend himself to Scott. The idiot alpha reacted exactly how Peter thought he would, with platitudes he didn’t actually believe and a lot of questions about every single detail as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Peter knew where this was going, and he wanted to protect Stiles from it. He couldn’t though, it had to run its course just like it had when he was a teenager and had accidentally killed a threat to his pack.

The difference this time was that Stiles and Scott were not born wolves and their bonds were not solidified by a life time of being pack and family. Talia couldn’t kick Peter out of the pack, it would have sent a ripple of despair through the entire family. Her only choice was to help him heal and get his bond back to thrumming healthily, but Scott was not Talia. Scott was young and stubborn with a very black and white world view, he would not have the strength and steadfastness it took to care for a pack member in pain. He would shun Stiles and make the darkness inside of him eat him alive. Scott would be Stiles’ ruin, which was unacceptable. If Scott was going to kick Stiles out of the pack then Peter would be waiting in the wings to save him. 

The phone call ended with Stiles’ wet goodbye, and Peter made a decision in that moment that he should’ve put more or really any thought into. 

“I’m going to make you some dinner.” 

Stiles’ whole body shot upright like he’d been struck by lightning, “P-Peter?” 

“Think it over while I’m cooking.” Peter nodded more to himself than to the shell shocked teenager. 

Peter hummed quietly to himself while he made a quick pot of spaghetti for Stiles. He knew the boy would see this as what it was, the first step in pack courting. Stiles was smarter than the others gave him credit for, and Peter knew Deaton had started giving him emissary lessons before Peter was sent to Eichen. It was a short logical leap to assume that meant Stiles knew about pack courting rituals, and even if he didn’t Peter would have informed him before he had a chance to take a bite. 

“You know it’s three in the morning, right?” Stiles was leaning against the kitchen doorway looking more put together than he probably was.

“And?” Peter plated the spaghetti before turning to face Stiles with an eyebrow raised.

“Too late for dinner, Peter.” Stiles answered with a crooked grin as he sat down at the kitchen island.

“Not too late to take a step onto a life changing road?” Peter asked, placing Stiles’ plate in front of him. 

“No. Not too late.” Stiles responded, his amber eyes locked onto Peter’s. 

“Good. Then, Mieczysław Johnathan Stilinski, do you accept my courting gift?” Peter intoned formally. 

“Yes I do, Peter Joseph Hale.” with that Stiles took a bite of the meal he’d prepared. 


End file.
